Reader Profile: Acnel Moses

For a decade, Acnel Moses has been driving the same solid waste routes in Pembroke Pines, FL, for Waste Pro. He has become a familiar face with his customers, many of whom will give him a hug—or even a bag of goodies—when they see him. What truly impresses Moses’s customers is that on certain stops, he will get out of the truck and retrieve the solid waste bin from a customer’s garage, dispose of the trash and then roll it back into place for those who find doing so themselves a physical struggle, such as one man who is confined to a wheelchair. The customers Moses helps may have problems with their legs or knees or are otherwise sick or disabled. Some of them will give him the code to their electronic garage door where he can enter, take the trash bin, empty it and return the emptied bin to the garage. A few of Moses’ customers were so taken by his kindness, they wrote an email to his boss at Waste Pro, showering him with praise. That led to Moses earning Waste Pro’s ‘Franklin Award’ for employee appreciation.  Comprised of $100 and a certificate of appreciation, the award was established 20 years ago by John Jennings, Waste Pro’s founder, as a way to reward employees for going the extra mile with regards to community service and safety. Moses is a two-time winner of the award. “I’m happy with the award; it’s amazing,” says Moses, adding that it also brings pride to his family for the work he does. “I don’t see it for the money. I believe in my heart I’m doing something better for people in my community. I’m happy to do it and I see them as my friend.” Moses’ exemplary customer service has made him somewhat of a local media star when recently he was featured on a segment on a CBS affiliate station in Miami.

What He Does Day to Day

Moses works an average of 55 hours a week from Monday through Friday, starting his day at 5 a.m. to drive residential routes to pick up solid waste with an automated truck arm from 11,000 customers. Because the truck is automated, he typically stays inside the truck but does exit it frequently to help a customer who needs help getting the bin to and from the curb. While many people most likely don’t know the name of their solid waste driver—and many drivers may not know much about their customers—for Moses, work is also an opportunity to enrich the bond between customers and solid waste haulers on a first-name basis.

What Led Him Into This Line of Work

Moses says he’s done waste collection for a long time because he loves what he does. He has previous experience working in solid waste and says he likes working for Waste Pro because the company emphasizes safety, communication, and services.

What He Likes Best About His Work

“I’m happy to wake up and go to work,” says Moses. “It’s a good thing when you’re going to work to take care of your family. Work keeps you busy.” Seeing the smiles of customers who wave at him also gives him a great sense of satisfaction.

His Greatest Challenge

It’s an understatement that the work of solid waste collectors has been a challenge in the past two years, given the health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s been particularly challenging for Moses, who lost his father to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as his 20-year-old son in a boating accident. It was his customer’s kindness toward him during those times that helped Moses to cope with the loss. Talk to Moses about his work and he always brings the conversation back to service to the community. “My goal is when you see someone who needs help to help them,” he says. “The customer is happy with it. It’s my pleasure and I’m happy to do it. When you like to help someone, you have nothing to lose. Some people think it’s about money, but it’s not about money. A human is a human being and they deserve service.”